Loose-leaf binder.



No. 807,864. 'PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. G.B.POST. LOOSE LEAP BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1905.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

S E S S E N H W UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed April 19,1905. Serial No. 256,356.

T0 at whom, it may c0ncern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Pos'r,a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference generally to improvements in loose-leaf binders; and the invention relates more particularly to a novel construction and form of two-post binder comprising a pair of separable cover-sections, one. of which is provided with the posts and the other cover-section having holding or locking mechanism, termed hereinafter the compressor, providedwithdevices adapted to be brought in holding or locked engagement with said posts or released therefrom and whereby the two cover-sections may be detachably as well as adjustably connected and a number of leaves or blank forms removably arranged between the said cover-sections.

My invention has for its principal object to provide a simply-constructed and readily-manipulated compressor or binder connected with a pair of cover sections or members which may be separated to arrange a number of leaves or blanks between them, the said cover sections or members being adapted to be positively held in their adjusted positions upon the opposite sides of the leaves or blanks and one of the said cover sections or members being capable of being separably locked in its adjusted positions upon the posts which are connected with the other of said cover sections or members.

A further object of thisinvention is to provide a box-shaped device (in which the binding mechanism is arranged) upon its under side with a bottom plate and means for detachably securing the complete box and plate upon the cover section or member, thereby providing a mechanism which is self-contained in a box and can be quickly removed from the cover section or member for repairs when necessary.

A further object of this invention is to provide a loose-leaf binderwhich, with the cover section or member upon which it is arranged and secured, can immediately be slipped from the sides of the posts as soon as the compressor mechanism is released from its engagement with the posts; and, furthermore, the invention has for another important object a novel arrangement of actuating-spindle for operating the binding devices of the compressor, the said spindle also being capable of a movement longitudinally in an elongated hole or bearing of the box to allow for the compensation of the binding devices when the one device binds upon the one post before the other device binds upon the second post.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more especially mentioned Willbe clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention.

WVith the various objects of my invention in view the invention consists in the loose-leaf binder hereinafter more fully set forth; and this invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the accompanying specification and then finally embodied in.

the clauses of the claim, which are appended to and which form an essential part of the said specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a loose-leaf binder embodying the principles of the present invention, one of the cover sections or members being shown in a raised position, with the compressor mechanism disengaged from the posts to enable the cover section or member and parts connected therewith to be slipped from the sides of the posts. a top or plan view of one end of the upper cover section or member and the compressorbox, the posts being represented in cross-section. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the one end of the upper cover section or member and a horizontal section of the compressor-box and posts, the post-engaging devices being shown in plan and in their disengaged relation with the said posts. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the same devices and parts, the post-enga ing devices being represented in holding or binding engagement with the posts; and Fig. 5, a central longitudinal section taken on line 5 5 in said Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a top or plan view of a compressor-box; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the said box and top or plan View of the post-engaging devices, the same show- Fig. 2 ising a modified construction, but still embodying the principles of this invention. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 8 8 in said Fig. 6.

Similar characters of reference are em ployed in the above-described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, the reference character 1 indicates the complete loose-leaf binder, the same comprising a back or bottom cover section or member 2 and an upper cover section or member 3, between which a suitable number of leaves or blanks, as 4, are to be arranged and clamped in the manner to be presently described.

The bottom cover section or member 2, as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 5, has suitably arranged within and near one of its edges a plate 5, to which are suitably secured a pair of vertically-projecting rods or posts 6. These rods or posts extend through and above the upper face of the said cover section or member 2 and through suitably disposed holes or perforations 7 in the stack of leaves or blanks 4 in the manner clearly represented in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings. The upper cover section or member 3, as shown in said Fig. 5, has embedded therein and at or near one of its edges corresponding to the edge of the lower cover section or member 2, which is provided with the plate 5, a plate 8, said plate having slotted or elongated openings 9 and the said cover section or member 3 being made with similarly-shaped slots or openings 10, which terminate at the marginal edge 11 of said cover section or member 3, as clearly shown in the several figures of the drawings. Suitably arranged and detachably secured upon the outer face of the said cover section or member 3 by means of screws 12 is a looking device or compressor, the same comprising a box 13 andbottom plate 14, forming a receptacle in which the holding devices for engagement with the post 6 are self-contained. The said screws 12, as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 5 of the drawings, are passed through suitably disposed perforations in the box 13 and bottom plate 14 and are screwed through the body of the cover section or member 3 into correspondinglylocated screw-holes in the embedded plate 8, as clearly illustrated. That the said bottom plate 14 will not become dislocated from the open part of the box 13 when the compressor is removed from the cover section or member 3 by unscrewing the screws 12 the said bottom plate 14 is secured to the box 13 by means of the screws 15, arranged substantially in the manner shown in said Fig. 5 of the drawings. In this manner the clamping or holding mechanism is self-contained in a box or casing, which can be readily secured in its position upon the face of the cover section or member 3 and just as easily removed therefrom without disturbing the operative positions of the clamping or holding devices within the said box or casing. The said bottom plate 14 is also provided with elongated openings or slots 16, and in the side 17 and top of the box 13 are correspondingly-disposed and similarly-shaped openings or slots 18. All the openings or slots 9, 10, 16, and 18 are in alinement, which permits of the said cover section or member 3 and the compressor-b ox being slipped from the sides of the posts 6 instead of slipping the parts over the free ends of the said posts 6. The construction may, however, be made to slip over the free ends of said posts, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, and as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Slidably arranged within the chamber formed by the box 13 and its bottom plate 14 are a pair of oppositely-moving racks 19 and 20. The rack 19 is provided with the gearteeth 21 and a binding member or finger 22, and the rack 20 is provided with the gearteeth 23, an angular arm 24, and a longitudinally-extending binding member or finger 25. The binding member orfinger 22 is made with an inclined marginal edge 26 and the binding member or finger 25 with an inclined marginal edge 27, whereby two oppositelymoving wedge shaped members are produced, both of which lie and move upon the same sides of the two posts 6, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

Rotatively arranged upon the inner face of the bottom plate 14, with its teeth in mesh with the gear-teeth 21 and 23 of the respective racks 19 and 20, is a pinion 28, said pinion having a hub 29, which is operatively ar ranged in an opening or bearing 30 in the top of the said box 13, substantially as illustrated. Thus it will be clearly seen that by rotating the said pinion 28 the two racks 19 and 20 can be made to slide in opposite directions within the chamber formed by the box 13 and its bottom plate 14, whereby the wedge-shaped end members of the two racks maybe brought in binding engagement with the sides of the posts 6 or may be disengaged from said posts, according to the directions in which the pinion is turned. When the various parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that the two racks 19 and 20 are held or locked in fixed positions,where by the two cover sections or members 2 and 3 are operatively connected and fully serve as covers between which the filed leaves orblanks 4 are arranged. l/Vhen, however, the parts have been moved into the disengaged positions from the posts 6, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be evident that the cover-section 3 and box 13, with its parts, can

be slipped from the sides of the posts 6 for the purpose of removing from or placing any number of sheets 4 upon the said posts 6.

To allow for the compensation of the two -7 of the drawings, the inclined marginal edges racks 19 and 20 within the chamber of the compressor-box in case one of the said wedgeshaped members tends to bind upon a post before the other wedge-shaped member binds upon the second post, the opening or bearing 30 is made,pret'erably, of an elongated shape, which permits of a slight longitudinal move ment of the pinion and its hub, thus holding the one rack in contact against its post until the other rack has been brought against the other post and the partshave thus been properly centered, at which time the two wedgeshaped members of the racks enter into their binding engagement with the respective posts 6, as will be clearly understood.

Instead of providing the upper cover-section, the plate 8, the box 13, and the bottom plate 14 with the various elongated openings hereinabove mentioned these several parts may be made with circular openings, as clearly shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings, which permits of the cover section or member 3 and the compressor to be slipped over the ends of the posts 6, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of said figures of the drawings. In that case two racks 32 and 33 may be used, each rack being provided with the teeth 34 and the wedgeshaped holding portions 35, as shown in Fig.

36 of said portions being adapted to be brought in binding engagement with the opposite sides of the respective posts 6, as shown. A pinion 37, provided with a hub 38 and a finger-piece 39, is used with these racks, as clearly illustrated.

From the foregoing description of my in-v vention it will be seen that I have devised a neatly and simply constructed loose-leaf and twopost binder the compressor mechanism of which is self-contained in a suitable casing adapted to be detachably secured upon the outer face of a cover-section and the movable parts of the mechanism can be easily assembled and when in their assembled relation are not liable to disarrangement due to careless manipulation.

I am fully aware that changes may be made in the arrangement and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of my present invention. Hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts as described in the foregoing specification and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a loose-leaf binder, a lower binderplate adapted to be secured to a bottom cover-section, and an upper binder-plate adapted to be secured to an upper cover-secl vice or compressor in positive clamping or binding relation with the same sides of said posts and with an inner portion of said 0113111.

, bered receiving means, said means being also arranged to withdraw said locking device or compressor clear of said posts to permit of the withdrawal of said posts laterally through the openings in the upper binder-plate and said chambered receiving means, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A binder, comprising a lower and an upper binder-plate, each plate being connected with a cover section, upwardly extending posts on said lowerbinder-plate, a compressorbox on said upper binder-plate. said compressorbox and upper binder-plate having laterallyextending openings in alinement with each other, and said posts extending through said openings and at all times being in alinement with said openings to permit of the withdrawal of the said c0mpressor-box and the said upper binder-plate laterally from said posts without producing any movement longitudinally of either said box or upper binderplate, and a pair of oppositely-sliding locking devices in said compressor-box, said locking devices having wedge-shaped members which lie and move upon the same sides of said posts and have their longitudinally-extending marginal edges, respectively, adapted to be brought in binding engagement with the same sides of said posts and with one of the inner faces of said compressor-box, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A binder, comprising a pair of plates, each plate being connected with a coversection, one of said plates having an elongated opening, and posts on the other of said plates, a self-centering compensating binding mechanism connected with the other plate, and means rotatably arranged in said opening for causing the engagement or disengagement of said mechanism with said posts, said means also having a compensating sliding move ment in said opening, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. A binder, comprising a pair of plates, each plate being connected with a cover-section, one of said plates having an elongated opening, and posts on the other of said plates, a self-centering compensating binding mech- IIO anism connected with the other plate, means nected with the other plate, a pair of oppositely-movable racks in said box, a wedgeshaped binding member upon each rack, and a pinion between and in mesh with said racks for the engagement and disengagement of said wedgeshaped binding members with said posts, and means connected with said box and the plate with which it is connected permitting the withdrawal of said box and the plate from the side of said posts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A binder, comprising a pair of plates, each plate being connected with a cover-section, posts on one of said plates, a box connected with the other plate, said box being provided in its top with an elongated opening, a pair of oppositely-movable racks in said box, a wedgeshaped binding member upon each rack, and aself-centering pinion between and in mesh with said racks for engagement and disengagement of said wedge shaped binding member with said posts, said pinion having a portion movable longitudinally in the elongated opening of the top of said box, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. A binder, comprising a pair of plates, each plate being connected with a cover-sec: tion, posts on one of said plates, a box connected with the other plate, said box being provided in its top with an elongated opening, apair of oppositely-movable racks in said box, a wedge-shaped binding member upon each rack, and a self-centering pinion between and in mesh with said. racks for engagement and disengagement of said wedge-shaped binding members with said posts, said pinion having a portion movable longitudinally in the elongated opening of the top of said box, and means connected with said box and the plate with which it is connected permitting the withdrawal of said box and the plate from the side of said posts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A binder, comprising a pair of plates,

each plate being connected with a cover-section, posts on one of said plates, a box connected with the other plate, a pair of oppositely-movable racks in said box, a pinion between and in mesh with said racks, a wedgeshapecl binding member upon each rack, said binding members engaging the same sides of the respective posts, and means for actuating said pinion, said box and the plate withwhich it is connected having elongated openings permitting the withdrawal of said box and plate from the side of said posts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. A binder, comprising a pair of plates, each plate being connected with a cover-section, posts on one of said plates, a box connected with the other plate, said box being provided in its top with an elongated opening, a pair of oppositely-movable racks in said box, a pinion between and in mesh with said racks, said pinion having an upwardlyextending portion movable longitudinally in the elongated opening of said box, a wedgeshaped binding member upon each rack, said binding members engaging the same sides of v the respective posts, and a finger-piece connected with said upwardly-extending portion of thepinion for actuating the same,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. A binder, comprising a pair of plates,-

each plate being connected with a cover-section, posts on one of said plates, a box connected with the other plate, said box being provided in its top with an elongated opening, a pair of oppositely-movable racks in said box, a pinion between and in mesh with said racks, said pinion having an upwardlyextending portion movable longitudinally in the elongated opening of said box, a wedge-shaped binding member upon each rack, said binding members engaging the same sides of the re spective posts, and a finger-piece connected with said upwardly-extending portion of the pinion for actuating the same, said box and the plate with which it is connected having elongated openings permitting the withdrawal of said box and plate from the side of said posts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above 1 have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of April, 1905.

GEORGE E. POST.

WVitnesses:

FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, GEO. D. RICHARDS. 

